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WildlifeofIndia

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Bengaltiger

Indianelephant

Asiaticlion

Indianrhinoceros



Indianbison

Indianpeafowl

Indiancobra

ElephasganesaafossilelephantfromtheSiwaliks

IllustrationofaHimalayanquailfromA.O.Hume'swork.Lastseenin1876



Nilgirilangur

Indianvulture

Redpanda



Oliveridleyturtle

Indiahassomeoftheworld'smostbiodiverseregions.ThepoliticalboundariesofIndiaencompassawiderangeofecozonesdesert,highmountains,highlands,tropicalandtemperateforests,swamplands,plains,grasslands,areassurroundingrivers,aswellasislandarchipelago.Ithosts3biodiversityhotspots:theWesternGhats,theHimalayasandtheIndoBurmaregion.Thesehotspotshavenumerousendemicspecies.[1]

India,forthemostpart,lieswithintheIndomalayaecozone,withtheupperreachesoftheHimalayasformingpartofthePalearcticecozonethecontoursof2000to2500mareconsideredtobethealtitudinalboundarybetweentheIndoMalayanandPalearcticzones.Indiadisplayssignificantbiodiversity.Oneofeighteenmegadiversecountries,itishometo7.6%ofallmammalian,12.6%ofallavian,6.2%ofallreptilian,4.4%ofallamphibian,11.7%ofallfish,and6.0%ofallfloweringplantspecies.[2]

Theregionisalsoheavilyinfluencedbysummermonsoonsthatcausemajorseasonalchangesinvegetationandhabitat.IndiaformsalargepartoftheIndomalayanbiogeographicalzoneandmanyofthefloralandfaunalformsshowMalayanaffinitieswithonlyafewtaxabeinguniquetotheIndianregion.TheuniqueformsincludesthesnakefamilyUropeltidaefoundonlyintheWesternGhatsandSriLanka.FossiltaxafromtheCretaceousshowlinkstotheSeychellesandMadagascarchainofislands.[3]TheCretaceousfaunaincludereptiles,amphibiansandfishesandanextantspeciesdemonstratingthisphylogeographicallinkisthepurplefrog.TheseparationofIndiaandMadagascaristraditionallyestimatedtohavetakenplaceabout88millionyearsago.HowevertherearesuggestionsthatthelinkstoMadagascarandAfricawerepresentevenatthetimewhentheIndiansubcontinentmetEurasia.IndiahasbeensuggestedasashipforthemovementofseveralAfricantaxaintoAsia.Thesetaxaincludefivefrogfamilies(includingtheMyobatrachidae),threecaecilianfamilies,alacertidlizardandfreshwatersnailsofthefamilyPotamiopsidae.[4]AfossiltoothofwhatisbelievedtobeoffromalemurlikeprimatefromtheBugtiHillsofcentralPakistanhoweverhasledtosuggestionsthatthelemursmayhaveoriginatedinAsia.ThesefossilsarehoweverfromtheOligocene(30millionyearsago)andhaveledtocontroversy.[5][6]LemurfossilsfromIndiainthepastledtotheoriesofalostcontinentcalledLemuria.Thistheoryhoweverwasdismissedwhencontinentaldriftandplatetectonicsbecamewellestablished.

ThefloraandfaunaofIndiahavebeenstudiedandrecordedfromearlytimesinfolktraditionsandlaterbyresearchersfollowingmoreformalscientificapproaches(SeeNaturalhistoryinIndia).GamelawsarereportedfromthethirdcenturyBC.[7]

Alittleunder5%ofthistotalareaisformallyclassifiedunderprotectedareas.

Indiaishometoseveralwellknownlargemammals,includingtheAsianelephant,Bengaltiger,Asiaticlion,leopardandIndianrhinoceros.Someoftheseanimalsareengrainedinculture,oftenbeingassociatedwithdeities.TheselargemammalsareimportantforwildlifetourisminIndia,andseveralnationalparksandwildlifesanctuariescatertotheseneeds.Thepopularityofthesecharismaticanimals

Ashok SutharHighlight









havehelpedgreatlyinconservationeffortsinIndia.Thetigerhasbeenparticularlyimportant,andProjectTiger,startedin1972,wasamajorefforttoconservethetigeranditshabitats.[8]ProjectElephant,thoughlessknown,startedin1992andworksforelephantprotection.[9]MostofIndia'srhinostodaysurviveintheKazirangaNationalPark.SomeotherwellknownlargeIndianmammalsare:ungulatessuchasthewaterbuffalo,nilgai,gaurandseveralspeciesofdeerandantelope.SomemembersofthedogfamilysuchastheIndianwolf,Bengalfox,goldenjackalandthedholeorwilddogsarealsowidelydistributed.Itisalsohometothestripedhyaena.Manysmalleranimalssuchasmacaques,langursandmongoosespeciesareespeciallywellknownduetotheirabilitytoliveclosetoorinsideurbanareas.

Contents

[hide]

1Diversity2Biodiversityhotspots

2.1TheWesternGhats2.2TheEasternHimalayas

3Extinctandfossilforms3.1Recentextinctions

4Destructionofanimalspecies5Speciesestimates6Taxonomiclistsandindices

6.1Animals.6.1.1Invertebrates6.1.2Vertebrates

6.2Plants7Seealso8References9Furtherreading10Externallinks

Diversity[edit]

ThereisinsufficientinformationabouttheinvertebrateandlowerformsofIndia,withsignificantworkhavingbeendoneonlyinafewgroupsofinsects,notablythebutterflies,odonates,hymenoptera,thelargercoleopteraandheteroptera.FewconcertedattemptstodocumentthebiodiversityhavebeenmadesincethepublicationofTheFaunaofBritishIndia,IncludingCeylonandBurmaseries.

Thereareabout2,546speciesoffishes(about11%oftheworldspecies)foundinIndianwaters.About197speciesofamphibians(4.4%oftheworldtotal)andmorethan408reptilespecies(6%oftheworldtotal)arefoundinIndia.Amongthesegroupsthehighestlevelsofendemismarefoundintheamphibians.

Thereareabout1,250speciesofbirdsfromIndia,withsomevariations,dependingontaxonomictreatments,accountingforabout12%oftheworldspecies.[10]

Thereareabout410speciesofmammalsknownfromIndia,whichisabout8.86%oftheworldspecies.[11]



TheWorldConservationMonitoringCentregivesanestimateofabout15,000speciesoffloweringplantsinIndia.

Biodiversityhotspots[edit]

TheWesternGhats[edit]

Mainarticle:WesternGhats

TheWesternGhatsareachainofhillsthatrunalongthewesternedgeofpeninsularIndia.Theirproximitytotheoceanandthroughorographiceffect,theyreceivehighrainfall.Theseregionshavemoistdeciduousforestandrainforest.Theregionshowshighspeciesdiversityaswellashighlevelsofendemism.Nearly77%oftheamphibiansand62%ofthereptilespeciesfoundherearefoundnowhereelse.[12]TheregionshowsbiogeographicalaffinitiestotheMalayanregion,andtheSatpurahypothesisproposedbySunderLalHorasuggeststhatthehillchainsofCentralIndiamayhaveonceformedaconnectionwiththeforestsofnortheasternIndiaandintotheIndoMalayanregion.Horausedtorrentstreamfishestosupportthetheory,butitwasalsosuggestedtoholdforbirds.[13]LaterstudieshavesuggestedthatHora'soriginalmodelspecieswereademonstrationofconvergentevolutionratherthanspeciationbyisolation.[12]

Morerecentphylogeographicstudieshaveattemptedtostudytheproblemusingmolecularapproaches.[14]Therearealsodifferencesintaxawhicharedependentontimeofdivergenceandgeologicalhistory.[15]AlongwithSriLankathisregionalsoshowssomefaunasimilaritieswiththeMadagascanregionespeciallyinthereptilesandamphibians.ExamplesincludetheSinophissnakes,thepurplefrogandSriLankanlizardgenusNessiawhichappearssimilartotheMadagascangenusAcontias.[16]NumerousflorallinkstotheMadagascanregionalsoexist.[17]AnalternatehypothesisthatthesetaxamayhaveoriginallyevolvedoutofIndiahasalsobeensuggested.[18]

BiogeographicalquirksexistwithsometaxaofMalayanoriginoccurringinSriLankabutabsentintheWesternGhats.TheseincludeinsectsgroupssuchastheplantssuchasthoseofthegenusNepenthes.

TheEasternHimalayas[edit]

TheEasternHimalayasistheregionencompassingBhutan,northeasternIndia,andsouthern,central,andeasternNepal.Theregionisgeologicallyyoungandshowshighaltitudinalvariation.Ithasnearly163globallythreatenedspeciesincludingtheonehornedrhinoceros(Rhinocerosunicornis),theWildAsianwaterbuffalo(Bubalusbubalis(Arnee))andinall45mammals,50birds,17reptiles,12amphibians,3invertebrateand36plantspecies.[19][20]Therelictdragonfly(Epiophlebialaidlawi)isanendangeredspeciesfoundherewiththeonlyotherspeciesinthegenusbeingfoundinJapan.TheregionisalsohometotheHimalayannewt(Tylototritonverrucosus),theonlysalamanderspeciesfoundwithinIndianlimits.[21]

Extinctandfossilforms[edit]

DuringtheearlyTertiaryperiod,theIndiantableland,whatistodaypeninsularIndia,wasalargeisland.PriortobecominganislanditwasconnectedtotheAfricanregion.DuringthetertiaryperiodthisislandwasseparatedfromtheAsianmainlandbyashallowsea.TheHimalayanregionandthegreaterpartof



Tibetlayunderthissea.ThemovementoftheIndiansubcontinentintotheAsianlandmasscreatedthegreatHimalayanrangesandraisedtheseabedintowhatistodaytheplainsofnorthernIndia.

OnceconnectedtotheAsianmainland,manyspeciesmovedintoIndia.TheHimalayaswerecreatedinseveralupheavals.TheSiwalikswereformedinthelastandthelargestnumberoffossilsoftheTertiaryperiodarefoundintheseranges.[22]

TheSiwalikfossilsincludemastodons,hippopotamus,rhinoceros,sivatherium,alargefourhornedruminant,giraffe,horses,camels,bison,deer,antelope,gorillas,pigs,chimpanzees,orangutans,baboons,langurs,macaques,cheetahs,sabretoothedcats,lions,tigers,slothbear,Aurochs,leopards,wolves,dholes,porcupines,rabbitsandahostofothermammals.[22]

Manyfossiltreespecieshavebeenfoundintheintertrappeanbeds[23]includingGrewioxylonfromtheEoceneandHeritieroxylonkeralensisfromthemiddleMioceneinKeralaandHeritieroxylonarunachalensisfromtheMioPlioceneofArunachalPradeshandatmanyotherplaces.ThediscoveryofGlossopterisfernfossilsfromIndiaandAntarcticaledtothediscoveryofGondwanalandandledtothegreaterunderstandingofcontinentaldrift.FossilCycads[24]areknownfromIndiawhilesevenCycadspeciescontinuetosurviveinIndia.[25][26]

TitanosaurusindicuswasperhapsthefirstdinosaurdiscoveredinIndiabyRichardLydekkerin1877intheNarmadavalley.ThisareahasbeenoneofthemostimportantareasforpaleontologyinIndia.AnotherdinosaurknownfromIndiaisRajasaurusnarmadensis,[27]aheavybodiedandstoutcarnivorousabelisaurid(theropod)dinosaurthatinhabitedtheareanearpresentdayNarmadariver.Itwas9minlengthand3minheightandsomewhathorizontalinposturewithadoublecrestedcrownontheskull.

SomefossilsnakesfromtheCenozoiceraarealsoknown.[28]

SomescientistshavesuggestedthattheDeccanlavaflowsandthegasesproducedwereresponsiblefortheglobalextinctionofdinosaurshoweverthesehavebeendisputed.[29][30]

HimalayacetussubathuensistheoldestknownwhalefossilofthefamilyProtocetidae(Eocene),about53.5millionyearsoldwasfoundintheSimlahillsinthefoothillsoftheHimalayas.Thisareawasunderwater(intheTethyssea)duringtheTertiaryperiod(whenIndiawasanislandoffAsia).Thiswhalemayhavebeencapableoflivingpartlyonland.[31][32]OtherfossilwhalesfromIndiaincludeRemingtonocetusapproximately4346millionyearsold.

Severalsmallmammalfossilshavebeenrecordedintheintertrappeanbeds,howeverlargermammalsaremostlyunknown.TheonlymajorprimatefossilshavebeenfromthenearbyregionofMyanmar.

SeealsoGeologyofIndia

Recentextinctions[edit]

TheexploitationoflandandforestresourcesbyhumansalongwithhuntingandtrappingforfoodandsporthasledtotheextinctionofmanyspeciesinIndiainrecenttimes.[citationneeded]

ProbablythefirstspeciestovanishduringthetimeoftheIndusValleycivilisationwasthespeciesofwildcattle,Bosprimegeniusnomadicusorthewildzebu,whichvanishedfromitsrangeintheIndus



valleyandwesternIndia,possiblyduetointerbreedingwithdomesticcattleandresultantfragmentationofwildpopulationsduetolossofhabitat.[33]

NotablemammalswhichbecameorarepresumedextinctwithinthecountryitselfincludetheIndian/Asiaticcheetah,JavanrhinocerosandSumatranrhinoceros.[34]Whilesomeoftheselargemammalspeciesareconfirmedextinct,therehavebeenmanysmalleranimalandplantspecieswhosestatusishardertodetermine.Manyspecieshavenotbeenseensincetheirdescription.Hubbardiaheptaneuron,aspeciesofgrassthatgrewinthesprayzoneoftheJogFallspriortotheconstructionoftheLinganamakkireservoir,wasthoughttobeextinctbutafewwererediscoverednearKolhapur.[35]

Somespeciesofbirdshavegoneextinctinrecenttimes,includingthepinkheadedduck(Rhodonessacaryophyllacea)andtheHimalayanquail(Ophrysiasuperciliosa).Aspeciesofwarbler,Acrocephalusorinus,knownearlierfromasinglespecimencollectedbyAllanOctavianHumefromnearRampurinHimachalPradeshwasrediscoveredafter139yearsinThailand.[36][37]Similarly,theJerdon'scourser(Rhinoptilusbitorquatus),namedafterthezoologistThomasC.Jerdonwhodiscovereditin1848,wasrediscoveredin1986byBharatBhushan,anornithologistattheBombayNaturalHistorySocietyafterbeingthoughttobeextinct.

Destructionofanimalspecies[edit]

ThoughIndiacurrentlyisconsideredamegadiversecountrywithmanyoftheworld'sspeciessadly,huntingisathingwhichhasplayedacrucialpartinthelesseningofthenumberofanimals.Oneofthemosteffectedanimalisthetiger.Ithasbeenruthlesslyhuntedbythemastermindswhosendinnocentvillagerstodothesejobs.ItisahugelysuccessfulbusinesswhichisduetothehighdemandoftigerbonesfortraditionalChinesemedicines.TherhinofoundmostlyinKazirangatooisdepletingfastfortheenormousdemand.ThebackseathasbeengiventothefaunabytheIndiangovernment,andthefinesthathavetobepaidaremostlylesserthanthemoneytheyearnbythepoaching.Ifsomethingisnotdonefast,thenmanyspeciesshallinstantlybecomeextinctandothersinduecourse.Manypeopleandevencompanieshaveexpressedstrongconcernoversuchtopics.

Speciesestimates[edit]



Glimpsesofbiodiversity

AnestimateofthenumbersofspeciesbygroupinIndiaisgivenbelow.ThisisbasedonAlfred,1998.[38]

TaxonomicGroup Worldspecies Indianspecies %inIndiaPROTISTAProtozoa 31250 2577 8.24Total(Protista) 31250 2577 8.24ANIMALIAMesozoa 71 10 14.08Porifera 4562 486 10.65Cnidaria 9916 842 8.49Ctenophora 100 12 12Platyhelminthes 17500 1622 9.27Nemertinea 600Rotifera 2500 330 13.2Gastrotricha 3000 100 3.33Kinorhyncha 100 10 10Nematoda 30000 2850 9.5Nematomorpha 250Acanthocephala 800 229 28.62Sipuncula 145 35 24.14Mollusca 66535 5070 7.62Echiura 127 43 33.86Annelida 12700 840 6.61Onychophora 100 1 1Arthropoda 987949 68389 6.9Crustacea 35534 2934 8.26Insecta 853000 53400 6.83Arachnida 73440 7.9Pycnogonida 600 2.67Pauropoda 360Chilopoda 3000 100 3.33Diplopoda 7500 162 2.16Symphyla 120 4 3.33Merostomata 4 2 50Phoronida 11 3 27.27Bryozoa(Ectoprocta) 4000 200 5Endoprocta 60 10 16.66Brachiopoda 300 3 1



Pogonophora 80Praipulida 8Pentastomida 70Chaetognatha 111 30 27.02Tardigrada 514 30 5.83Echinodermata 6223 765 12.29Hemichordata 120 12 10Chordata 48451 4952 10.22Protochordata(Cephalochordata+Urochordata) 2106 119 5.65Pisces 21723 2546 11.72Amphibia 5150 209 4.06Reptilia 5817 456 7.84Aves 9026 1232 13.66Mammalia 4629 390 8.42Total(Animalia) 1196903 868741 7.25GrandTotal(Protosticta+Animalia) 1228153 871318 7.09

Taxonomiclistsandindices[edit]

Aprayingmantis

Harpegnathossaltator



AnIdiopidspiderendemictoIndia

DeccanmahseerTorkhudree

ThissectionprovideslinkstolistsofspeciesofvarioustaxafoundinIndia.

Animals.[edit]

Invertebrates[edit]

MolluscsListofnonmarinemolluscsofIndia

ArachnidsSpidersofIndia

InsectsCoccinellidae

LadybirdbeetlesofIndiaOdonata

DragonfliesanddamselfliesofIndiaLepidoptera

ButterfliesofIndiaPapilionidbutterfliesofIndiaPieridbutterfliesofIndiaNymphalidbutterfliesofIndiaLycaenidbutterfliesofIndiaHesperidbutterfliesofIndiaRiodinidbutterfliesofIndia

MothsofIndiaHymenoptera

AntsofIndia

Vertebrates[edit]

FishesofIndia



AmphibiansofIndiaReptilesofIndia

SnakesofIndiaBirdsofSouthAsiaMammalsofIndia

Plants[edit]

SeeFloraofIndiatogetinformationforplants

Seealso[edit]

EndemicbirdsofSouthAsiaEcoregionsinIndiaIndiannaturalhistoryIndianCouncilofForestryResearchandEducationFloraandfaunaofKarnatakaListofIndianstatebirdsEndangeredMammalsofIndiaFloraofIndiaTheFaunaofBritishIndia,IncludingCeylonandBurma.WildlifeofIndiaGreatNicobarBiosphereReserve,AndamanandNicobarIslands,IndiaEndemicbirdsoftheAndamanandNicobarIslands,IndiaIndiaNatureWatchBirdinginChennaiBirdwatchers'FieldClubofBangaloreTempleReef

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